Belovezhskaya Pushcha photographs. Belovezhskaya Pushcha: guide. Hotels in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
The Belovezhskaya Pushcha Nature Reserve is the main natural attraction of Belarus, home to rare animals, bison. What to see in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, how to get there from Minsk, prices for excursions, food and hotels in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Reviews about the holiday with photos.
Now I am in my homeland, so on weekends I explore the sights of Belarus, which I will be happy to write about on my blog. I'll start with a story about Belovezhskaya Pushcha. “Pesnyary” also sang about her.
The Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is a biosphere reserve, part of which is located in the west of Belarus, the other part in Poland.
It consists of 500 thousand square meters of forest, the average age of trees in which is 100 years. There are oak trees on the territory of the Pushcha that live there for 500-600 years.
This is one of the oldest nature reserves in the world, which was founded more than 600 years ago. Since 1992, the national park has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Fund. This is one of the main attractions of Belarus. Holidays in Belovezhskaya Pushcha are popular among animal lovers and ecotourism.
Belovezhskaya Pushcha occupies a huge territory. You can only move around the reserve on foot, by bicycle or by excursion bus. We leave our car in the parking lot.
Essentially the Pushcha is a large forest with several lakes, a small zoo and some entertainment. The main objects that are usually seen in the Pushcha are: enclosures with animals (bison, horses, wild boars), the Estate of the Belarusian Father Frost (open all year round, not just in winter), and the Local History Museum of Nature.
Cash desk opening hours: 9.00 – 18.00
Bicycle rental opening hours: 9.00 – 18.00
Opening hours of the Museum of Nature: 9.00 - 18.00
Opening hours of the Residence of Father Frost: 9.00 - 18.00
Bus departure times from the entrance to the Pushcha to the Estate of Father Frost: 11:00; 13:30; 16:00
daily (if there is a group of at least 10 people)
Hotels in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Renovated building of the Kamenyuki Hotel and restaurant There is one in Belovezhskaya Pushcha Hotel "Kamenyuki". One building is located on the territory of the reserve, the other is in the neighboring village of Kamenyuki, 900 meters from the main entrance to the Pushcha.
Prices in the village are lower than in the forest itself. Link to Kamenyuki No. 2 in the village (rooms from 17$ )
The Kamenyuki Hotel is now on Booking.com. Now booking rooms in Belovezhskaya Pushcha has become much easier (previously you had to call a landline phone on weekdays, but now you can rent a room on the Internet)
Houses in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
If you don’t want to live in a hotel, then in the village of Kamenyuki you can rent a room in a house, a cottage, or stay in an agricultural estate.
If you come by car, it makes sense to live not near Pushcha, but to rent an apartment in Brest, Kobrin or any other city nearby - it will be several times cheaper than living in Belovezhskaya Pushcha or Kamenyuki.
Apartments and houses in Belarus can be rented using the following links:
- Apartments for a day in Brest - from $19 per apartment
Farmsteads and houses in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Belovezhskoye Estate, from $25
Price - 25$ for a room with a shared bathroom, 45$ per room with private bath
You can rent a separate 19th century house entirely for 50-60$
The estate in the village of Kamenyuki is decorated in a traditional style. There is free wifi and free parking, garden, barbecue area and terrace. It's a 20-25 minute walk to the forest.
House 10 km from the forest, from $75
Price for a one bedroom house - 75$
4 bedroom house - from 100$
The price depends on the number of guests and the size of the cottage.
Complex of cottages. There are 1 bedroom, 4 bedroom and 5 bedroom houses. All houses have a fireplace, private bath, terrace, barbecue, free wifi and parking.
Suitable for those with a car. The estate is located 10 km from the forest in the village of Makovishche
House in Kamenyuki, from $30
Price for two - 30$ , for three - 40$ , for 4 - $50, maximum 5 people.
House with 2 bedrooms in the village of Kamenyuki. There is a garden with a terrace and barbecue facilities, a kitchen with oven, TV, free wifi. The forest is 1 km away.
Excursions in Belovezhskaya Pushcha:
- On foot— you can visit enclosures with animals, the Local History Museum and lakes
- By bike— there are five routes through the territory of the Pushcha, the longest route, 27 km long, runs along ancient oak trees, covers several lakes, partially runs along an asphalt road, and 70% along a dirt road.
- By excursion bus(2 excursions)
Prices for excursions around Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
Tickets for excursions can be purchased at the central ticket office at the main entrance. They accept only Belarusian rubles or bank cards.
Russian rubles, dollars and euros are not accepted. If you plan to go to the enclosures and the nature museum, it is better to buy tickets immediately.
All prices are indicated in Belarusian rubles. To understand how much it is dollars, divide the price on 2.
To get the price in Russian rubles, multiply the price in “proteins” by 30.
Prices for adult and children's tickets will be listed below. Visiting the estate of Father Frost, enclosures with animals, the museum of nature - child ticket up to 14 years old, sightseeing tour with a visit to the Museum of Folk Life - child ticket up to 18 years old.
Walking tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Price: 1 white ruble(RUR 31 / 0.5$ ), lasts 2 hours
You pay money and receive a map with the attractions indicated on it. You can walk without a map, but since the border with Poland is very close, it’s better to get a map so as not to accidentally go where you shouldn’t.
If you just want to walk around the Pushcha without a map, then no need to pay.
Walking tour through Belovezhskaya Pushcha Bicycle tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Bicycle rental works from 9.00 to 18.00.
Prices for cycling routes:
There are several cycling routes of varying lengths, designed to last one and a half, two, four hours. The price includes bicycle rental and a map with routes. The path runs along asphalt and dirt paths.
I read different reviews about the bikes. Many people write that they got an old bike for rent and advise, if possible, to choose an aluminum one with speeds. It is recommended to take your bike from home. I haven’t rented a bike myself, so I don’t know how things are with the equipment.
Bicycle tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha Sightseeing tour of Belovezhskaya Pushcha by bus
Winter equipment rental
Tour of the Estate of the Belarusian Father Frost
Price: adults 8.5 byn ( 260 rub./ 4.4$), children 7 byn ( 215 RUR / 3.6$)
The price includes the performance and gifts for about 3 bel. ruble
Lasts about 2 hours. The bus leaves from the main entrance at 11.00, 13.30 and 16.00
The residence is located 12 km from the main entrance to the reserve, so you can get there on foot or by bicycle, but it will take a lot of time.
Excursion to the Residence of Father Frost
Sights of Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Local History Museum of Nature
Price: adults 3 byn (90 rub / 1.5$ ), children - 2 byn (60 rubles / 1$ ).
You can rent an audio guide for 3.5 byn(110 rubles) or book a group excursion for 5 byn(150 rubles) for groups of up to 10 people.
This is the best local history museum in Europe (although Moscow will be better). The exhibition was collected over 70 years.
Only wild boars are specially shot in the Pushcha, because there are a lot of them. All other animals died of natural causes and were found by rangers or local residents.
Museum of Nature 
stuffed deer 
Hunting scene Residence of the Belarusian Father Frost
A fun performance is being held at the Residence. We danced in circles, ran around the Christmas tree, chatted with Santa Claus and Baba Yaga's sister Korgota, guessed riddles, after which we could write our wishes to Santa Claus. I liked the performance. I think children should like it too.
At the end they gave sets of very tasty Belarusian sweets worth 30 thousand ( 1.5$ ), which is especially nice. Different groups receive different gifts: chocolates, drawing kits for children, etc.
You can also make up to 100 wishes at the residence. Grandfather promised that all of them would come true within a year. We'll see.
Finding happiness with Korgota 
12 months. You can hug yours and whisper your deepest wish in his ear :) 
My month Kastrychnik 
Territory of Father Frost's Residence 
Belarusian Santa Claus. Children from Russia did not immediately recognize him 
In your grandfather's house you can write down your wishes and receive a gift 
Round dances around the Christmas tree in Belovezhskaya Pushcha can be done even in summer Animals of Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Price: adults 2.5 byn ( 80 rub), children 1.5 byn ( 45 rub.).
It is better to buy tickets to the enclosures in advance at the central ticket office.
Wild animals constantly live in the forest, but you can’t always see them, so it’s best to look at the famous Belarusian bison in enclosures. The enclosures are home to bison, deer, raccoon dogs, foxes, moose, bears, wolves, horses, and wild boars.
From 15.20 to 16.00 the animals slept in the houses; large animals were far from the fence. When we found ourselves near the enclosures again around 6 pm, the animals woke up.
They approached the fences and allowed themselves to be petted. It turned out that it is better to look at the animals in the morning or evening. During the day they are busy or sleep.
!!! Please pay attention to the fact that you cannot feed the animals. There are signs on the fences of the enclosure asking people not to feed the animals, but for some reason people continue to throw loaves and whole loaves of bread into the enclosures. If you want a bison or deer to come closer to the fence, it is better to show him a blade of grass.
In front of me, not very smart, giggling people threw a stone at the boar. The boar ate the stone out of habit, but why do such a thing?
A boar that swallowed a stone 
Bison in Belovezhskaya Pushcha 
Dappled deer 
High walls of enclosures 
People feed animals bread 
Other attractions
Also on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha there are several artificial lakes, centuries-old oak trees, about 300 species of rare birds and about 900 varieties of plants. All this can be seen while walking or cycling.
Food prices in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
Our one-day trip to Belovezhskaya Pushcha by car from Minsk cost 120 Bel. rubles (RUR 3,700) for two people.
We drove 760 km, so the main part of the expenses is gasoline (1.19 byr (42 rubles) per liter of 95). We ate at the cafe twice. Once in the forest itself, the second time on the highway. The remaining costs are entrance fees to the enclosures, the museum and the excursion.
Prices in restaurants on the territory of the Pushcha are the same as in establishments in Minsk. Also to the right of the entrance to the reserve there is the Sosny cafe, where you can inexpensively eat pancakes with blueberries or honey, order shish kebab with salad and drink tea.
Sosny cafe menu 
Herbal tea with pancakes
How to get to Belovezhskaya Pushcha from Minsk and Brest
1. By car- 360 km from Minsk along the M1 highway to Zhabinka, then through the city of Kamenets to the village of Kamenyuki - this is the administrative center of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. We reach the end of the village of Kamenyuki and come to a parking lot and the entrance to the reserve.
The movement of vehicles without special permission through the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is prohibited, so we park the car and go for a walk.
2. By public transport
By train to Brest. Tickets for the Minsk-Brest train can be purchased in advance on the website www.rw.by
From the railway station in Brest you need to get to the Central Bus Station. Walking distance is about 15 minutes.
At the bus station we buy a ticket to the village of Kamenyuki.
From Kamenyuki station we walk about 1 km to the central entrance to Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
Main entrance to Belovezhskaya Pushcha
My reviews about Belovezhskaya Pushcha
It so happened that we left Minsk late and arrived in the Pushcha at 14.30, so we didn’t have time to see everything.
What I especially liked:
- Museum of Nature. I don’t like museums, but everything here is decorated at the highest level. Made with soul. The main thing for me is that animals are not killed for the sake of the museum.
- Herb tea- poured in the Sosny cafe and in the cafe at the residence of Father Frost. To my greatest sadness, the tea itself, which is used to brew tea, is not sold on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
- Excursion to the Residence of Father Frost. They gave delicious gifts, and the performance itself was fun. Well done guys. They are trying!
- Bison and gray horse. The conditions for keeping animals in enclosures are quite good. I used to not like zoos, but now I understand that they still have meaning. Most zoos are home to old or sick animals who find it difficult to find food in the wild. At the zoo, the animals are fed - this is already a big plus. The only thing that seemed strange to me was that all the trees in the enclosures where the bison live were cut down. In summer, animals will have nowhere to hide from the sun. I hope that closer to June the bison will move from their clearing to the forest, like other animals.
There are no trees at all in the enclosure where the bison live 
What I didn’t like about Belovezhskaya Pushcha
- People who, despite the ban, feed animals with bread and stones.
- According to reviews, the condition of the bikes leaves much to be desired.
- Bison are not combed. In Chizhovsky Park in Minsk, animals look more well-groomed.
Working on turning a toad into a prince Thus, while traveling to the sights of Belarus, I recommend that you visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha and spend at least one, two or three days there. Relax your soul, breathe in the fresh forest air, ride a bike or just take a walk.
Have a nice holiday in Belarus! Sincerely,
Or how we met Santa Claus in the primeval forests of the Motherland
Chapter 1. Flora and fauna of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Terrible secrets of the primeval forest.
The bison is a large, shaggy-haired cow. This cow weighs approximately 600-800 kg. But this particular bull in the photo weighed 1200 kg. This is one of the first 5 bison that were brought to the Pushcha from Poland after the Great Patriotic War. It successfully reproduced there. And now we have 312 bison in Belarus. And if they multiply any more, they will devour the Pushcha. Therefore, they are now being actively exported to other friendly countries....5 zubriks will soon leave for Moldova.
But there are no bears in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Back in the day, when there were few bison and they were on the verge of extinction, vile bears drove them onto the ice of the lake in winter and the bison, like large cows on ice, simply crashed. Significantly superior in strength to bison, bears killed them with one blow to the back. Therefore, hunting bears in the Pushcha has always been permitted, and at present there are only two bears left there - Misha and Masha, who were sleeping peacefully in the enclosures while we were looking at them.
When does a deer grow antlers?
No, that's wrong. A deer grows antlers in its second year of life. And they don’t grow straight away into bones, but into fluffy ones. Such super cool velor horns. And every year a horn grows on them. That is, the age of a deer or elk = the number of antler shoots + 1. However, there are exceptions to the rule. Starting from a certain period of aging (for each individual), the number of processes decreases in the opposite direction. So an old moose is a bald moose.
Females do not grow horns. They get much more. I was “placed” by the antlers in this angle to take pictures with the deer.
Well, let's move on to storks. It turns out that storks are not swans at all. T But a stork man doesn’t care at all who he lives with. Returning from the south to his nest, a male stork may meet there a completely different female stork, and not his wife. A scandal cannot be avoided, however. The missus arrives later (well, she was delayed..) and what she sees is treason and betrayal. The male stork leaves the nest and gives the ladies the opportunity to find out for themselves this piquant question - who will live with him... It all ends sadly - one of the storks is forced to leave the nest and her stork. It's good if there are no casualties. And the stork takes it for granted.
Women storks are generally cruel birds...U Nothing will work out between a white stork and a black one, because the white lady simply doesn’t understand what the black one wants from her? That is, love, courtship and all that stuff for God’s sake, but they don’t know how to make children. Learn the materiel, as they say.
Beavers. Beavers are kind, as you know. But in the advertisement we are shown a seemingly terminally ill beaver at the end of his days. In life, beavers have yellow, even yellow-brown teeth, and the darker they are, the stronger and more valuable they are for the beaver. but when white spots appear on them, this is a dental disease, which is naturally extremely undesirable for a beaver.
Wolves are not uncommon in Pushcha. A wolf differs fundamentally from a dog in that its tail is always tucked between its legs and never curled.
There are no less interesting birds in Belovezhskaya Pushcha - black grouse and wood grouse. I think many people know why is a capercaillie called a capercaillie - he is completely deaf when he sings his mating songs, and it’s not for nothing that he is deaf - he sings disgustingly. That is, it’s good for him, but for everyone else... And when he sings like this, you can remove him from the tree with your bare hands, which hunters have always used. So about the morals of these birds. They can mate with each other, although the birds are completely different. And their offspring are called the unflattering word mezhnyak. And this mezhnyak is barren in pursuit of multi-colored storks.
Foxes are the most arrogant and dirty animals, among the inhabitants of the forest. Literally. They never clean their holes and, excuse me, poop where they eat. Unlike badgers. Those cleanest animals, and often they clean up after the foxes their own holes that the foxes have occupied.
The raccoon dog is our Belarusian opossum. Just a little bit - she immediately pretends to be dead, and if you kick her, so to speak... to check her deadness... she jumps up and runs away with a wild squeal...
Lynxes have wide paws so they can run through the snow without falling through, and a small heart so they don’t have to run after their prey for a long time. Either right away or never is their motto. If it was not possible to grab it right away, then the lynx may simply die while catching up with it, which it certainly does not want, and the prey is released on its own.
Among the nocturnal inhabitants there are, of course, bats of all different varieties.... As you know, bats navigate using ultrasound. This was established through animal cruelty- first they were blindfolded... and they all oriented themselves perfectly... Then they bandaged their nose... and at least they had something... And then they got to their ears... I can’t guarantee the purity of this experiment... still according to I’m telling you from memory... but nevertheless, as a result, they found out that they are guided by ultrasound... Everyone also probably knows that our cauldrons often get tangled in their hair... And all because hair does not reflect ultrasound... And then scientists found out that white color also does not reflect ultrasound. And I somehow felt creepy in this museum. Blondes should not go into caves with mice. Especially for blondes :)
All kinds of reptiles, insects and plants simply flood the Pushcha. You still can’t tell about them all... but I must say they are impressive....
Chapter 2. Belarusian Santa Claus.
So, let's move on to the second part of our journey - meeting with Santa Claus.
This is the official residence of Father Frost. There are four of them officially registered on earth, so to speak - Santa Claus lives in Lapland; in Alaska we must assume the same; Russian Father Frost lives in Veliky Ustyug; and ours is in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Also Santa Claus. Well, it’s clear that grandpa alone can’t cope. There are four of them... but it doesn’t matter :)
Electrical elements of the Residence
That's what he is!!! Summer! Talked to us. I wished you all the best and fulfillment of all your desires. The children gave him their letters directly into his hands! Overall it was actually pretty cool. Actually for real. And then we went for a walk around his property. The real world of a fairy tale. It was truly magical to meet the REAL SANTA CLAUS!
Vitalik was lucky - he found his frog princess. And an amazing tree is black alder. This is the only tree that sheds green leaves in the fall!
And also on the way
A mill that you had to touch and it would grind all the bad deeds done during the year, and the gnomes would then take them far into the forest. And if you then behave well, then this evil will never return to you. Teremki, Dwarfs and Snow White and other fairy tale heroes - there were a lot of them! The pond where the frog princess lives. Magic well. And then we came across a clearing of twelve months. You had to touch your month and make a wish - it would definitely come true.
Fraternization with dwarves. High five!
Emelina pike
Ilya made a wish at the snowball. It will definitely come true
The Little Humpbacked Horse
These gnomes love mushrooms...
Minor saxophonist
Magic pond where the Frog Princess lives
Around the Christmas tree... gnomes are also no strangers to progress
Buratino of course on Tortilla
New fairy tales. Ilya and the wolf. Fury is wooden and in the flesh
New fairy tales. Masha, Sasha and the bear
Golden comb cockerel
Just a gnome
Good old tales - Anfisa
February is the second brother month. You had to touch your month and make a wish
The Frog Princess in person. Men kiss her to find their other half
Here she is! Beautiful mega-tree of the country! Only in summer. Around it, hundreds of children dance in circles in winter and sing the most famous song about the New Year and the Christmas tree. Song - “A Christmas tree was born in the forest!” By the way, in 2006 I turned 101 years old. And the words were written to her by an unknown school librarian from some village... I don’t remember anymore. And the music was composed much later.
She is very tall, and most importantly....real....and beautiful....you could wring your neck to see the top. 40 meters. Attention - THE HIGHEST LIVING EUROPEAN TREE. She is 120 years old!!! There was also something to see around the tree.
There is also “Skarbnitsa” is a repository of gifts, as well as letters, drawings, photographs and crafts sent by children to Santa Claus. And this is us sitting in the chair of Santa Claus while grandfather is away. This office also houses the Santa Claus Museum, which contains antiques.
A very beautiful flowerbed near Skarbnitsa
There is a museum of antiquities in Grandfather's office. Stupa for your attention!
In Grandfather's chair. And around - all the children's gifts to Santa Claus
There was also the Snow Maiden's house there. Only the Snow Maiden does not live there. And she was not there. She only comes in winter. But we found out who her father is))))).... The snowman is her father. Mom unknown
Chapter 3. Live wild animals.
And then we went to the enclosures to look at the same wild animals that we were told about in the museum. It turned out that they are not wild at all. The bison were really far away, the bears were sleeping, and some of them didn’t come out of their holes either. But many did not refuse to eat.
Warned - wild animals! Let's go to the enclosures.
Animals reproduce well in the Pushcha. Young shoots
Bison are the kings of the forest. Waiting to be sent to Moldova
A four-year-old deer snatched a carrot from my hands
No one refused to eat. The moose ate some bread
We had a great trip and had a great time. There is amazing nature there. The air is clean there. I saw the real Santa Claus. I made wishes and I already want to go there in winter - for the New Year.
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The case when expectation and reality did not coincide (
What do you imagine when you hear Belovezhskaya Pushcha? Personally, I - “The Reserved Chant, the commanded daaaaal”, a huge dense forest through which you walk, enjoy the fresh air and accidentally meet either a bison or an elk)
After all, we were told from childhood that this is the main Belarusian nature reserve, almost the best attraction in the country. Perhaps many people think so, but I have a completely different opinion. Unfortunately(
What do we actually have?
Most of the Pushcha is closed to the public, because... This is a border area, only a specially designated area is accessible to tourists. Something like this.
You drive up to the parking lot, leave your car, and go to the ticket office.
Prices for visiting
There is a lot of information, even too much, but the girls at the ticket office are polite and friendly, they help you find your way around the services.
Among the services offered:
- Enclosures with wild animals - 3 rubles per person.
- A visit to the Museum of Nature and the Museum of Folk Life - 3.50 rubles per person.
- Excursion to visit Santa Claus by bus, available all year round. With making wishes, round dances, jokes and gifts. 8.50 rubles per person.
- Others: tour guides, audio guides and others.
You can buy tickets only at the box office at the entrance, only for white. rubles You can pay in cash or by credit card.
Right there, near the entrance, there is a rental of bicycles and other vehicles (for example, sleds in winter).
There are several routes, cycling and walking. And they are all paid, they all have their own cost) Moreover, even if you ride your own bike or walk on your own feet.
And here are 2 things I don’t understand: 1) what is the reason for this payment, depreciation of asphalt or something? 2) the routes start at a decent distance from the main entrance. If, out of ignorance, you didn’t buy a ticket right away, then what, go back?)
Strange, very strange.
Enclosures with animals in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
A very sad sight. Maybe they look good in winter, but on a sunny summer day, when it’s +30 outside, it all looks like cruelty to animals. Bears were especially not spared(
The enclosures are really big, but not for the bears. But for some reason the trees were cut down, and the animals are sitting in the wasteland. This is how bison walk under the scorching sun.
And they sit on heaps of sand. I’m not a biologist and I could be wrong, but in my opinion, this bears little resemblance to the natural conditions familiar to bison.
The situation is similar with deer.
Red deer with huge antlers sit in a swamp.
The coolest, shady area is near the horses.
And here come the bears.
2 bears, in 2 small cages with bars. In the photo he climbs into a trough to cool off in the water - and guess what? There is practically no water there. Just to drink (I don’t understand why this is happening to them.
Leva liked everything, but the adults around him were somewhat puzzled by what they saw.
You can ride around the territory on a horse-drawn carriage or on a children's train.
It seems to me that the surest option for visiting the Pushcha is to ride one of the cycling routes, but on the other hand, if there is someone in your company who does not ride, there is not much entertainment for him.
Maybe it’s a good walk - I don’t rule out that possibility. But again, if someone in your company does not like or cannot walk for a long time, he will frankly have nothing to do.
The forest itself is incomparable, but the infrastructure and organization are confusing.
And nature is beautiful, there are no questions about nature.
Where to eat in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
There are several places within the national park where you can sit, relax and eat.
Not far from the enclosures there is a cafe “Forest Fairy Tale”. The prices are quite affordable, there is a large selection. But the guys work a little strangely) If there are a little more orders in the kitchen than usual, then panic reigns in the establishment, and no one is responsible for anything)
On the day we arrived, schoolchildren were being fed lunch in this cafe. A notice was posted at the entrance that the establishment was closed for special services. In fact, it turned out that everything works, only a) the waiter won’t come to you, go order it yourself; b) not all positions are available; c) wait 40 minutes for any dish.
As a result, we sat down to eat at the Sosny cafe.
I can’t say that it was super tasty, but rather filling. But all the food is edible, and I really liked the fruit drink.
There is another cafe on the estate of Father Frost. And I think there should be a few more in other places.
Souvenirs
There is no shortage of souvenirs.
There are many of them, they are different and quite inexpensive. Magnets, figurines, plates with bison, wild boars, bears and much more.
Similar tents are located between the central entrance and the enclosures.
Working hours
- The cash desk is open from 9.00 to 18.00
- Bicycle rental - from 9.00 to 18.00
- Museum of Nature - from 9.00 to 18.00
- Residence of Father Frost - from 9.00 to 18.00, buses depart at 11:00, 13:30 and 16:00
How to get there
You need to get to the village of Kamenyuki.
It is located approximately 150 km from Brest. Regular buses go here, some of them drive right to the gates of the national park, some don’t, but the walk from the station is no more than a kilometer. The schedule can be viewed on the website ticketbus.by.
The distance from Minsk is about 360 km, you can only get there by your own transport, the road is good.
How to get there?
You can get to the Pushcha by car - focus on the agricultural town of Kamenyuki, adjacent to the Pushcha. From Minsk, drive along the M1 highway until the turn to Zhabinka (P7), then to the city of Kamenets and the village of Kamenyuki along P83.
If you travel by public transport, get to Brest, and from there a minibus leaves from the bus station several times a day directly to the main entrance to the Pushcha and a bus. You can buy tickets. The price is BYN 3.8 - 4.27, travel time is one and a half hours. Right at the main entrance to the Pushcha you can buy all the tickets you need and rent a bicycle.
Where to live?
If you want to give yourself a real vacation and complete forest relaxation, get ready to hang out in the Pushcha for several days.
If you want closer communication with nature, you can rent a vacation spot on the shores of lakes Plyanta, Lava and Pererovskoye - it will cost BYN 16 per day. In the national park you can rent tents, rugs and sleeping bags for an overnight stay for BYN 2-4. All the details .
Two more options if you want to stay in Kamenets and see Belaya Vezha at the same time.
What else is there to see nearby?
Spend a couple of days in cozy Brest, explore thoroughly, arrange forays into interesting cities nearby -. In Kobrin, look at the churches, the estate and stroll along the green embankment of the Mukhavets River, and in Kamenets pay tribute to the very White Vezha, which gave the name to the forest, even though it is not actually white. Now there is a local history museum in Vezha, and you can also climb to its top and admire the surroundings.
— How old is Santa Claus?
- As much as the White Light costs.
- How long do you think he will live, forever?
- As long as they believe in him!
On the pre-holiday days, the Estate of Father Frost in Belovezhskaya Pushcha welcomes and sees off thousands of people from different parts of Belarus and our neighboring states. Is it worth looking for a fairy tale in Kamenyuki during the winter holidays or is it better to postpone a visit to the white-bearded Grandfather until better times? To resolve this issue for ourselves once and for all, we “took on the tail” of a tourist group from Pinsk and set off along the most popular route. We tell and show how the Pushcha greeted us in the review.
I admit honestly, this is my first visit to Santa Claus. I didn’t really count on miracles, because... I understood that Grandfather would have no time for me, he would be attacked by crowds of tourists. I was expecting the most important thing from the trip: answers to the questions “When is the best time to visit the Pushcha with the whole family? Should I go “savage” in my own car or use the services of a travel agency and an experienced guide?
Since we were going to a fairy tale, on the advice of the guide, it was decided to turn into adult children and try to plunge headlong into miracles. We listened to everything and tried to soak in the magic of the moment to the roots of our hair, to the last finger not chilled in the cold. In our company of 48 people there were also children, so adults kept glancing at them, trying to be “infected” by their spontaneity and naivety.
Everyone wanted to see Grandfather Frost, and quickly, but there was a long way ahead. Long because of the queue of hundreds of people wanting to do the same. By the way, there is no crowd; everything is organized in such a way that the wait is as comfortable as possible. There are free toilets on site, which is very important when you have children with you.
The area adjacent to the Estate is quite large, there are points selling food and drinks, souvenir shops, and a Santa Claus train. You can warm yourself by the fire, sit in the gazebo, or eat hot pancakes and barbecue until it’s your turn to enter through the main gate into the treasured courtyard.
Information for reference...
The residence of Father Frost is open from 9:00 to 18:00 every day, seven days a week and no lunch break.
Even if you arrive at the Estate of Father Frost on your own (not on a tour bus), the same procedure awaits you: you will have to leave the car in the parking lot at the central gate of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, and get to the residence by bus as part of a spontaneously formed group, which will be accompanied exactly just like tourists arriving with a guide.
Let's give it its due, the organization is up to par. Each group is approached by its own guide (one of the fairy-tale characters or Santa Claus’s assistants) and tries to brighten up the painful minutes of waiting as much as possible.
We got a sweet girl with a pleasant and well-trained voice, who sang songs, led round dances with the children, played games, asked riddles and did everything so that we would not freeze on the way to our dream - to get to Santa Claus.
With leaps and bounds, we were getting closer and closer to the treasured gate... The guard in a green caftan did not look at all intimidating.
The real guards were the knights Dub Dubovich and Elm Vyazovich, and the sweet and slightly frozen young man simply regulated the influx of people, letting the next group through only when the previous one had already been taken into the experienced organizational hands by the next assistant of Grandfather Frost.
By the way, one little trick helps control the crowd. Everyone is told a legend that you should never go out through these gates, otherwise you will carry with you all the troubles and all the negativity that other visitors leave in the Estate. Here! One-way traffic: everyone who has already visited the courtyard exits along a different route.
Our sweet girl guide returned to the starting point, handing us over to the next hero. Who do you think it is? Snow Maiden? But no! This is the youngest daughter of Father Frost, the mother of the Snow Maiden. Yes, yes, it turns out that Grandfather has a wife - Zimushka Winter, three daughters - Blizzard, Stuzha and Metelitsa. The two eldest are not yet married, everyone is looking for one red-haired, the other bald and fluffy. And the youngest - Metelitsa - without hesitation, married the Snowman and they had a daughter - Snegurochka, the granddaughter of Father Frost.
Metelitsa entertains the guests at the entrance for some time, introduces them to family secrets and, as the adults understand, stalls for a little time so that the kind Grandfather Frost has time to catch his breath. In the meantime, before the kids, Snow White and her seven dwarves.
The carved tower of Father Frost cannot be confused with any other house. Festive illumination at dusk gives it a special mystery; the carved patterns evoke admiration. The house is two-story, grandfather lives here all year, even in summer. On the first floor there is a throne room and an office, on the second there is a bedroom.
Here it is, the long-awaited meeting! Here he is - the Wizard! Grandfather greets the guests, asks where they came from and, despite the bustle and influx of visitors, finds a couple of kind words and jokes. Next - a group photo and... And that’s it, Grandfather Frost doesn’t have any more time, the next group of those eager for his attention is approaching.
In fairness, I note that our sweet girl guide warned that Grandfather was very busy and instructed her to listen, collect and convey all the poems, songs, letters and wishes that the children had prepared. Therefore, the little dreamers, on the way to Santa Claus’s house, did everything that was required for such an occasion. No offense. Go ahead.
Not far from the tower of Father Frost there is a carriage drawn by a pair of deer. Apparently, this is where Grandfather delivers gifts to the kids.
A faithful guardian and reliable assistant is the cat Vaska (or maybe not Vaska, he did not introduce himself).
Opposite Father Frost's house there is an alley of wooden sculptures. Here are Baba Yaga, and Zyuzya Poozersky, and Bolotnik Unusual, and Kysh Babai, and Pakkaine. You can read about each on a special sign and tell your child.
In addition to Santa Claus's house, there is Mother Winter's Workshop. Santa Claus built it for his wife on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Estate. Master classes are held in these magical walls, magical things are created, and you can celebrate a birthday.
There are many wonderful places in the Estate, and each has its own legend. If you touch the Magic Mill and remember all your bad deeds and deeds, the Mill will grind them and turn them into dust and sand.
After this, you can safely go to the Glade of Twelve Months, look for your sculpture and make a wish.
The route is designed so that tourists move in a circle. Even with a large number of guests, you can take a selfie and look at all the wonders without interference.
There is a small lake near the Mill. Its banks are decorated with wooden sculptures. Grandfather Frost brought the Frog Princess into his fairy tale. Perhaps he hoped that among the many guests of the estate there would be Ivan, who would kiss the Princess, and she would turn into a beautiful woman. There was no Ivan in our group, so the frog is sitting and waiting for the next group... Although, something tells me that there were attempts to kiss the Princess, but, apparently, it was not the same Ivan, and maybe all this was without love - that’s why the magic wasn’t it worked.
There is also a goldfish near that lake. It is waiting for everyone passing by to make three cherished wishes. There is also a bridge with exactly 97 logs. Every step is a new desire. In general, Dreams must come true, and the Estate has ALL the conditions for this. The chances increase a hundredfold!
Children will surely recognize the heroes of their favorite fairy tales, and adults will note the character of the wooden characters. Each section of the territory is remarkable in some way.
Unusual signs can be seen throughout the compound.
Entrance to the Gorynych snakes is strictly PROHIBITED. And the workers really make sure that guests do not smoke on the territory of the complex.
Another sign that is unlikely to be found anywhere else. A carved bench invites you to sit down and recite a poem. Cute…
Centuries-old trees are not uncommon on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. The huge spruce has seen a lot in its life, and now guests of the residence of the Belarusian Father Frost dance around it. Now she is elegant both in winter and in summer. The height of the spruce is about 40 meters! It is unlikely that you will meet the same giantess anywhere else in Belarus.
After singing a song about a Christmas tree and twirling in a round dance, visitors move on.
Here is the hero of the coming year - the Fire Rooster. There are several such zodiac sculptures.
You can sit on the bench by the gnome or take a closer look at the Snake and Horse.
The Snow Maiden's House is of keen interest to the female part of the group. The legend says that you need to walk around it in a circle, look through the window, count the pillows on the bed and be sure to look in the mirror on the wall. It's magical. Women will become more beautiful, men - wiser and stronger, children - healthier and more obedient.
You won’t be able to go inside the Snow Maiden’s house, it’s too small. By the way, the Snow Maiden inherited from her father, the Snowman, the ability to melt, so she does not live in the Pushcha all year round, like Father Frost. Comes only in winter.
Skarbnitsa is another iconic place on the estate of Father Frost. Children's letters and crafts are stored here.
Here they give gifts to everyone who bought an entrance ticket (this is included in the price). Here you can buy souvenirs and aromatic Pushcha herbal tea.
Here is a journal in which you can write down your wish or say hello to Santa Claus. It is interesting to read what children and adults write. “Skarbnitsa” is the last point of the route. You can wander around the Estate for some time, taste hot herbal tea with pancakes and game shish kebab.
If you're lucky, you can see bison, deer and other Pushcha residents: special feeders have been built for them.
CONCLUSION: It’s up to you to decide whether or not to go to the Pushcha on the eve of the New Year and Christmas holidays, when there are crowds of people there. But the Estate of Father Frost is worth visiting with children in any case! This is undeniable. I think it will be interesting to visit the Pushcha with the whole family, even in different seasons, because it is not only Father Frost that attracts tourists to Kamenyuki. The most important asset of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is fresh air and centuries-old forest. This is worth returning to the Pushcha again!
Dear readers. Tell us, have you visited the Belarusian Father Frost in Belovezhskaya Pushcha? What impressed the children most?
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